Flip Burger employees and other members of "Team Blais" gathered at the Birmingham location to cheer on their favorite chef Wednesday night and let out a collective yelp when his name was called just before 10 p.m.

Blais had been a "Top Chef" runner-up three years ago.

Wednesday' finale was pre-recorded but the results were not made known until the show aired. An emotional Blais fought back tears after he heard the news.

"I didn't think I could do it," he said. "You don't know. I don't want to be cliche -- where there's a will, there's a way -- but I willed it."

As the "Top Chef," Blais will receive $200,000 to help him pursue his "culinary dreams," and he will be featured in an upcoming issue of Food & Wine magazine, as well as at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colo.

The final-round competition was close, and the "Top Chef" judges said both Blais and Isabella were deserving.

Isabella, who left his job as the head chef at Washington's Zantinya restaurant to compete on the show, said the best chef lost.

"To come in second is tough," he said. "I competed with the No. 1 seed who is considered to be the best chef to never win the competition, and I feel like I beat him. I just didn't get the prize." Wednesday night.